2000 Dodge Intrepid

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CONSUMER HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, CAUSING RACK AND PINION TO GO OUT. *AK. THE CONSUMER NOTICED SLACK IN THE STEERING AND RATTLING IN THE FRONT AT AROUND 75000 MILES. THE STEERING BECAME STUCK DURING LEFT AND RIGHT TURNS. *TS. THE TIE RODS WERE REPLACED AND ALSO THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER DECLINED THE REPAIRS. *JB

I BOUGHT MY 2000 DODGE INTREPID IN FEB. 2003 WITH 37,295 MILES ON IT. STARTED TO NOTICE THE CAR PULLING TO THE RIGHT AND A LOT OF PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. I TOOK THE CAR TO KEYSTONE CHRYSLER TO BE SERVICED ON MAY 15, 2003. STEVE HALLER(REP.) SAID IT SOUNDS LIKE AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. WHEN I CALLED MR. HALLER TO CHECK HOW THINGS WERE GOING, HE SAID THEY WERE HAVING SOME TROUBLE TRYING TO ALIGN THE CAR, BUT THEY WILL GET IT DONE. I DROPPED THE CAR OFF AT 7 A.M. AND THE CAR WAS NOT FINISHED UNTIL 2:30 THAT AFTERNOON. THAT SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME FOR AN ALIGNMENT. WHEN I PICKED THE CAR UP, I STILL NOTICED A LOT OF PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT. IT WAS AS IF I HAD NO CONTROL OVER WHICH DIRECTION THE CAR WAS GOING. I THEN TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM. MR. DOOLITTLE(ANOTHER REP.) THEN CALLED ME AT HOME THAT AFTERNOON TO TELL ME THAT THERE IS NO ALIGNMENT PROBLEM, BUT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE RACK AND PINION. HE SAID IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED SOON, BUT WILL COST $1200. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND HE RECOMMEND THAT I DO NOT DRIVE IT HOME. WELL, I HAD NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO GO PICK UP THE CAR AND DRIVE IT HOME. I DID NOT HAVE $1200 TO FIX THE RACK AND PINION. ON JUNE 14, 2003, MY CAR LOST CONTROL. IT PULLED TO THE LEFT AND WOULD NOT BUDGE. IT NOW SITS IN MY DRIVEWAY COLLECTING DUST. I RECENTLY BEEN INVESTIGATING INTO THIS RACK AND PINION PROBLEM WITH INTREPID'S AND I REALIZE I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. YET THE PROBLEM IS SO COMMON THAT THE PART IS ON BACK ORDER BECAUSE OF HIGH DEMAND. DOESN'T THAT SAY ANYTHING TO THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION? THE STEERING PROBLEMS WITH THE DODGE INTREPID IS SO SERIOUS, IT IS TAKING LIVES AND INJURING MANY PEOPLE. I FEEL THE RACK AND PINION SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FIXED BEFORE IT INJURES OR KILLS ANYONE ELSE. *NLM

THE DAY AFTER WE HAD GOTTEN NEW TIRES PUT ON AND ALIGNED ON OUR 2000 DODGE INTREPID THE CAR PULLED STRONGLY TO THE RIGHT AND MADE LOUD SOUNDS ON TURNS. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND HAD HIM LOOK AT IT AND SAID STEERING GEAR HAD DROPPED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. REPLACED THE STEERING GEAR AND DID AN ALIGNMENT TO THE TURN OF $1400. WENT TO THE DEALER IN THE FIRST PLACE TO GET SEAT FIXED ON FREE RECALL AND ENDED UP SPENDING OVER $1800 DOLLARS THERE. NOTICED LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT STEERING ON MYCARSTATS - IS THIS A MFG DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE COVERED?*JB

I HAVE FOUND AN EXCELLENT AND INFORMATIVE WEBSITE AGAINST DAIMLER CHRYSLER AT WWW.DAIMLERCHRYSLERVEHICLEPROBLEMS.COM FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION MAINLY IN REGARD TO INTREPID, 300M, CONCORDE, LHS PREMATURE ENGINE, STEERING, TRANSMISSION AND OTHER COMMON FAILURES. I HAVE EXPERIENCED MANY OF THESE PROBLEMS MYSELF AND DAIMLER CHRYSLER SIMPLY DOES NOT CARE, I COULD HAVE EVEN BEEN KILLED IN ONE INSTANCE. AFTER OWN ANOTHER VEHICLE AND PUTTING NEARLY 30,000 MILES ON IT I HAVE NOT HAD ANY OF THE RIDICULOUS PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED WITH CHRYSLER'S DODGE BRAND OF VEHICLES. THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION CONSUMERS NEED TO KNOW THAT DAIMLER CHRYSLER DOES NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THESE VEHICLES AND THEIR COMMON PROBLEMS CHRYSLER IGNORES, SOME OF WHICH ARE POTENTIAL SAFETY CONCERNS SUCH AS THE DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT DESIGN CHRYSLER CONTINUES TO USE AND DEFECTIVE STEERING DESIGN AND OR COMPONENTS THAT CAN CAUSE SUDDEN LOOSENESS OR CHANGE OF RESPONSE IN STEERING, WHICH CAN LEAD TO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THESE GUYS HAVE BEEN RECEIVING COMPLAINTS DAILY ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS AND HAVE BEEN REFERRING CONSUMERS TO THE NHTSA, I HOPE THAT IN TURN THE NHTSA WILL ADD THIS TO THE LIST OF THEIR COMPLAINTS SO OTHERS WILL ALSO KNOW ABOUT THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. *NLM